Overview
- FAA data show 20–40% air traffic controller absences at major airports and tens of thousands of delays, with roughly 13,000 controllers and about 50,000 TSA personnel working without pay.
- The shutdown reached day 36, surpassing the 35‑day 2019 mark, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed or unpaid and straining government services.
- President Donald Trump rejected Democratic conditions for reopening the government and urged Republicans to abolish the Senate filibuster to pass funding on a simple majority.
- Senate Republican leader John Thune expressed cautious optimism about a bipartisan agreement, and negotiators are discussing a temporary extension of health‑insurance subsidies.
- Food assistance for about 42 million people and other safety‑net programs face disruptions as the funding impasse continues.